Ramón Carnicer


Ramón Carnicer i Batlle was a Spanish composer and opera conductor, today best known for composing the National Anthem of Chile.

Biography

Carnicer was born in Tàrrega, Spain. He was a pupil of Francesc Queralt. His first major positions were as conductor for the opera, and he was influential in the development of the Spanish national opera style, zarzuela. He conducted the Italian Opera in Barcelona from 1818 to 1820, and the Royal Opera in Madrid from 1828 to 1830, as well as composing nine operas.
In 1830, he accepted a position as professor of composition at the Madrid Conservatory, which he would retain until his retirement in 1854. He composed a variety of songs, church music, and symphonies; his best-remembered composition today being the National Anthem of Chile. He died in Madrid in 1855.

Works

Opera

Some of his operas are lost, but are known from references in documents of the period. However the authorship of several of the pieces is not fully clear.Adele di Lusignano: Melodramma semiserio, Opera in Italian, in two actsElena e Costantino: Dramma eroico-comico in due atti, Opera in Italian, libretto by Andrea Leone TottolaIl dissoluto punito, ossia Don Giovanni Tenorio, Opera in Italian, in two acts, libretto by Giovanni Bertati.Elena e Malvina, Opera in two actsCristoforo Colombo, OperaEufemio di Messina, OperaGuglielmo Tell, OperaEran due or sono tre, o sea, Gli esposti, Opera buffa in two acts. Libretto by Jacopo FerrettiIsmalia o Morte ed amore, Opera in two actsLaura y Don Gonzalo, òpera in 4 acts. Music attributed to Carnicer. Libretto attributed to Manuel Bretón de los HerrerosIpermestra, drama in three acts. Words by Pietro Metastasio. Authorship discussedLucrezia Borgia. Attributed opera, some believe he only collaborated in the compositionEl sacristán de Toledo, opera. It's said he had only collaborated, composing incidental music

Instrumental

Fantasía en mi bemol mayor, for clarinetGran sinfonía en Re Fantasía original para clarinete con acompañamiento de piano Capricho para contrabajo con acompañamiento de piano Melodía fantástica con acompañamiento de pianoSinfonía orientalSolo de flauta Salmòdia for organ6 Sonates per instrument de tecla' Obertura Composed for the premier of the opera Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini in Barcelona
  • A second overture for that same opera

Vocal

El caramba: canción andaluza, Voice and piano or guitar Completas Fratres a 4 v., 4 voices, 6 instruments, accompaniment and continuoLa criada: canción española, voice, guitar and pianoEl currillo: canción andaluza, voice, guitar and pianoLa gitanilla, song for voice, guitar and pianoHimno a los defensores de Gandesa.Himno patrio de la República de Chile Himno patriótico, con motivo de la publicación del Estatuto Real Himno patriótico cumpleaños de la Reina Doña Isabel II El julepe: polo, song for voice and guitarMisa de Réquiem, 4 voices and orchestra, in Latin. For Maria Josepha Amalia de Saxony, Ferdinand VII third wifeMisa de Réquiem, 4 voices and orchestra, in Latin Misa solemne, 8 voices and orchestraEl músico y el poeta, tonadilla a dúoEl no sé, song for voice, guitar and pianoLa noticia feliz: polo y seguidillas, song for voice, guitar and pianoEl nuevo sereni, song for voice, guitar and piano or guitar Odas de Anacreonte, text original grec d'Anacreont i traducció castellana de José del Castillo y Ayensa, comprèn les cançons per a veu i piano De si mismo, A una muchacha i Del amor y la abeja El poder de las mugeres: canción española con acompañamiento de piano y guitarra Psalmodia que contiene todos los tonos Tantum ErgoTonadilla de la cantinera Vigilias con orquesta para las exequias de Fernando VII, in LatinEl chairo: canción española cantada en la ópera "El barbero de Sevilla", lyrics by Agustín Azcona